DeKalb County District Attorney Robert James was recently appointed to the Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC) by Governor Nathan Deal. James joins the 20 member board, which is tasked with providing recommendations for vacant state trial and appellate courts.

“I am honored to join the JNC and the distinguished group of professionals assembled by Governor Deal,” said James. “My objective is to make sound recommendations to the governor as it relates to judicial appointments. The residents of Georgia deserve the most qualified, experienced, ethical and impartial people to serve in these extremely important roles.

District 5 Commissioner Lee May will host Town Hall Forum to discuss the proposed 2011 Annual Budget. The forum will now begin promptly at 6:30PM on Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at the Lou Walker Senior Center located at 2538 Panola Road, Lithonia GA 30058.

All DeKalb County offices under the Supervision of Chief Executive Officer Burrell Ellis will return to normal operations on Thursday.

“I want to thank all of our DeKalb County employees who came into work every day this week to serve the citizens of DeKalb County,” said CEO Ellis. “This includes, but is not limited to, our first responders in Police and Fire, as well as our Roads and Drainage crews that have worked around the clock.”

Although some county offices were closed earlier it the week, such as Recorders Court and Parks and Recreation, all should be fully operational on Thursday, January 12, 2011.

DeKalb County Sanitation will resume residential garbage collection Thursday for residences that are on Monday/Thursday curbside service, and on Friday for those residences that receive Tuesday/Friday pickup. Sanitation will continue service on Saturday as needed to get to any

DEKALB COUNTY, GA -- State representative Stan Watson will become a DeKalb County commissioner in a couple of weeks. He'll replace Connie Stokes. When Stokes leaves, county officials say she'll take her county office furniture with her. And Watson will get new, nearly-identical taxpayer-funded furniture.

The money is the eye-opener. Stokes is paying DeKalb county $1,300 for her four-year old furniture.

The county is spending $12,000 to replace it for Watson.

Morris Williams, the Board chief of staff, says the incoming and outgoing furniture are virtually identical, "except one is four years older than the other.

DeKalb County Chief Executive Officer Burrell Ellis named appointments to fill vacancies in four county departments. Mike Van Wie has been named Airport Director, Stacy Grear has been named Director of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Burke Brennan has been named Chief Communications Officer and Patrick Bailey has been promoted to Director of the Medical Examiner’s Office.